April 16, 2021

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A PR I L 1 6 , 2 02 1 | 4 IYA R 578 1 | VO L. 1 01 | NO. 26 | CANDLELIGHTING | FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 7:48 P.M.

‘EMERGE’ LEADERS Jess Cohn and Ally Freeman

Beteavon!

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Support our Jewish Community during Do Good Week Page 6

Clockwise from top left: Jess Cohn, Ellie Novak, Hillary Rubesin and Ally Freeman

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series about Emerge, the Jewish Federation of North America’s new Women’s Philanthropic initiative.

Emerge is an initiative that brings 23 women from Federations across North America together virtually each month between February and December 2021. The pro-

Feel the serenity at Jewish Family Service Page 12

gram will culminate with a celebration at the 2022 Lion of Judah Conference in Phoenix, AZ. Selected to participate on Omaha’s behalf are Jess Cohn, Ally Freeman, Ellie Novak and Hillary Rubesin.

This week we focus on Jess and Ally, in our next article we will highlight Ellie and Hillary.

Jess Cohn’s personal philanthropic journey “started See ‘Emerge’ Leaders page 2

Once upon a summer

REGULARS

Spotlight Voices Synagogues Life cycles

7 8 10 11

MURPHY SCOTT WULFGAR ADL-CRC Plains States Region Communications Director We are losing an entire generation of first-hand survivors at a time when hearing their stories couldn’t be more important. Extremism and misinfor-

mation dominate social media, Holocaust denial and anti-semitism are at record highs, and the topic of Holocaust Education is once again thrust in the spotlight. Why must we remember? What must we share?

On Monday, April 19 at 1 p.m.

CST ADL’s Central Division series will present The Future of Holocaust Education, featuring experts from Echoes & Reflections, a leader in the field of Holocaust education that utilizes unparalleled expertise and resources from three world leaders in Holocaust education: the USC Shoah Foundation: Institute for Visual History and Education; Yad Vashem: The See Holocaust education page 3

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Allow us to introduce you to the J-Camp dream team: Amanda Welsh, Youth and Camp Director; Jacob Geltzer, BBYO/Teen Program Director, Assistant Director of J Camp Administration and L.I.T Director and, finally, Jake Lenagh, Assistant Youth and J Camp Director.

Amanda grew up in Minnesota, but moved to Nebraska to get her Psychology degree at UNL. She has lived in Nebraska for about 10 years.

She currently resides in Omaha with her husband Tim, son Oliver, and dog Ellie.

“As far back as I can remember, I have always spent a part of my summers at a camp,” she said. “I was a camper at an overnight camp in

Iowa for 10 summers, and then worked at that same resident camp as a counselor and then as Rec Lodge Director for threee summers.

While in college I was also a Summer Fun Club Supervisor for a YMCA camp in Lincoln, which then led me to be the Youth and Family Director at a YMCA here in Omaha.

I have now been at the JCC for over three years. I think all of this experience is what I bring to the job. I have spent hundreds of summer hours at camp, and each summer camp I have taken something different from. I am trying to incorporate all of that into J Camp. One of my main goals this summer is to try and make our J Camp have more of awhole ‘summer camp feel’ that I grew up with. Many campers do not See Once upon a summer page 3

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What (not) to say

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‘EMERGE’ LEADERS

Continued from page 1 through my synagogue, Temple Israel,” she said. “I’ve learned over the years that it takes more than just a contribution to get things done! Advancing initiatives and making changes you are passionate about takes time, energy, hard work and building relationships.”

Ally Freeman was raised by two very philanthropicallyminded parents, she said, “who were —and remain—quite involved in the Omaha community. Philanthropy and giving back was one of the primary values in our home growing up, and so it has always felt like a large part of my life. In college I led a large student-run philanthropy and was very involved in community service. But after college, as a young adult in Washington, D.C., philanthropy definitely took a backseat to other things. Five years ago, when I moved back to Omaha, it was to take a job at the Omaha Community Foundation. My professional career is now all about local philanthropy, and so it’s very much come full circle. Working in philanthropy has deepened my understanding of it on every level, and reinforced how important philanthropy is for my family and me.”

“The Emerge criteria asked for women who had already had a leadership role in the Jewish Federation of Omaha and who have potential for more,” Louri Sullivan said. “The beauty of this group is really what they don’t have in common. Only one grew up in the Omaha Jewish community, the other three either moved here from somewhere else or converted to Judaism as adults. They are a beautiful cross-section of what upcoming Jewish leaders in our community look like. We are blessed to have these women in our community. All four of them have been involved this year with the FRD division, were either directly involved with the Annual Campaign or worked on strategic planning.”

WHY WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY? “Women’s Philanthropy speaks to women who are dedicated to advancing causes and initiatives that they are passionate about,” Jess Cohn said. “Although Philanthropy is often synonymous with donating financially, to me it also means donating your time, skills and passions. In Omaha there are amazing dynamic women involved in Philanthropy. I am excited to learn from them through the mentorship portion of the Emerge cohort.”

The meeting sessions have been a really wonderful experience,” Ally Freeman said. “We have a fantastic facilitator and the monthly programs have been thoughtful, engaging, and interesting.”

Jess agreed: “the meetings have sparked interesting conversations among our Omaha group and with the group at large.

Participating in this via zoom is surprisingly engaging! We have broken into smaller groups to allow more one-on-one conversations and problem solving.”

Ally said she had “very few expectations going in, and by the end of the first monthly session I knew that it was going to be an incredible program. They are also prioritizing us getting to know each other beyond the individual meetings; I just had a Zoom coffee date with one of the participants in Columbus, OH.” Research shows that women contribute significantly to philanthropy with their time, treasure and talent, and they have the capacity to do more. Reaching more women under the age of 45 helps the JFNA create an essential pipeline of female philanthropists and leaders in the local communities and the collective Federation system.

“The ultimate purpose of this year-long initiative is to develop and enhance our leadership skills in Philanthropy and community engagement,” Jess said. “We then take those skills and apply them in our local community.”

Ally agreed: “We are excited to take this cohort of women and grow stronger Jewish female leaders and philanthropists on the local and national level.”

Making new connections and sharing ideas along the way is something that excites all participants, Jess said. “I will use this experience in my involvement at the Federation, Synagogue, in my home and in the broader community! During one of our sessions, we focused on Jewish values and I was encouraged to define what values I hold most important and to think about how we use those in our leadership involvement. For me, kehilla- community- is the value that drives me to give back.”

“There are so many commonalities women have that just allow this to be a deeper, richer, experience that we can appreciate together,” Ally added, “whether it’s navigating motherhood, or as wives and daughters, or working moms; we all have complex, busy lives. Getting to do this with other women I can relate to, learn from and build friendships with is exciting. I think women have a unique, important point of view when it comes to philanthropy and leadership, and I hope we continue to elevate that in our community. And I especially love that there is a local component to this program and that I get to participate with three other engaged, involved friends from Omaha, while also meeting other women from across the country. It’s something that is unique; to be able to participate in this specific time in our lives as a result of the pandemic.”

“I believe that it starts with women,” Jess said. “Women supporting and believing in each other is empowering. We are a dynamic group of people who come from varying backgrounds- and together we can do anything!”

Cookbook Sale A Special Israeli Cookbook Created by Ron

Purchase a Beteavon Cookbook and help raise the funds to bring Ron back to Omaha for an IN-PERSON Israeli Cooking Experience next Spring 2022.

Your purchase will also allow you to connect VIRTUALLY with Ron this Summer through EXCLUSIVE COOKING CLASSES offered to bookholders. Ron will pick special recipes from the cookbook to share from her HOME in Israel. Cookbooks will be delivered mid-May and details about the classes will be sent to those who purchase the book.

COOKBOOK ORDERS DUE on April 20, 2021

Questions? Contact Jamie SkogBurke at jskogburke@jewishomaha.org

Bring a taste of Israel into your home!

Place your order by completing this form or scan QR code above.

Mail order form with payment to: Jewish Federation of Omaha, Attn: Jamie SkogBurke, 333 S. 132nd St. Omaha, NE 68154 Name ______________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________

____Cookbook | $36

Total:

Reserve a physical copy for your household of Ron’s “Beteavon” Cookbook

____Virtual Cookbook | $18

____________________________________________________

Want the recipes but not interested in another book around your house?

Get a virtual copy.

Phone______________ Email____________________________

____Beteavon Apron & Cookbook | $72 Receive both the cookbook and the special “Beteavon” apron created for Ron’s classes.

Make checks payble to: Jewish Federation of Omaha

You may, at some point in your life, be in the situation of speaking with someone having thoughts of suicide.

A lot of people feel an initial panic of “What do I say?” Well, here is the good news: you shouldn’t be saying much at all. We support loved ones who are struggling by making them feel heard and validated. The easiest pitfall to fall into is trying to argue ADDISON with them about why they should not HELSPER end their life. To be frank, it is time to Clinical Case shut up and listen, not find yourself in Manager, AAS Certified Crisis a debate of life.

I’ve had the rare opportunity of get- Counselor, Volunteer Board ting to speak with and connect with member of the NE people from all over the world during Chp AFSP their absolute darkest moments.

Working as a counselor on a suicide prevention hotline gives me a unique perspective on suicide and mental health. It is our job to connect and empathize with their pain, suffering, or overwhelming feelings. We are shown, every day, that the rationale behind why someone may want to end their life is infinitely varied. You, as their loved one, need to know that there isn’t some imaginary line of trauma or event that “warrants” having thoughts of suicide. It can be anything, and it all matters.

Everything from losing a loved one, a break up, or a lost opportunity to getting a B+ on a test to nothing at all are all completely valid reasons to be in pain, upset, and to even question if they can keep going. No one should ever have to justify why they are having these thoughts to me as a counselor, or to you as a support in their life.

You may be thinking “but wait, it’s okay to think about ending your life?” Yes, it’s okay. Myself and your loved ones want to help you navigate away from those thoughts and feel better, but it is okay. It is important for me, as the author, to communicate very clearly that having thoughts of suicide does not make you a bad person. It doesn’t make you crazy.

It doesn’t necessarily mean that you are mentally ill.

It is okay, it is valid, and it is understandable.

That message, right there, is at the core of every prevention call I have ever had. When someone feels listened to and cared for and validated, we don’t argue about whether or not they should stay alive. We talk about what they feel, why they’re hurt, and what they need. That moment of connection and care is what they need in that moment. Arguing with them about why they should choose life is a dead end. That argument is the emotional equivalent of saying, “No. Your problems are not that bad. You should not feel this despair,” and can make your loved one feel even more alienated.

So, what do you do? Your job is to listen.

The Mental Health Series is presented by The Jewish Press and the Jennifer Beth Kay Memorial Fund.

The Jewish Press | April 16, 2021 | 3

Eric Dunning appointed leader of Nebraska Department of Insurance ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor Governor Pete Ricketts announced April 2 that Eric Dunning, formerly the director of Government Affairs for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, has been named as the next leader of the Nebraska Department of Insurance. Eric is the husband of Toba Cohen-Dunning and they are the parents of Eleanor and Teddy. He is the past-president of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, a past member of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors and a member of Beth Israel.

Eric Dunning has more than 15 years of experience as an attorney for NDOI, having advised agency leadership on legal matters pertaining to insurance regulation from 1998 to 2013. Dunning started his professional career as an attorney for the Colorado General Assembly.

“Eric is a highly respected leader in

our state’s insurance industry with impressive legal, public policy, and private sector experience,” said Gov. Ricketts.

Eric Dunning

“Having previously spent over a decadeand-a-half with the department, he has

the knowledge to hit the ground running as director. Under Eric’s leadership, Nebraska’s regulatory climate for insurers will continue to be a model for states across the nation.”

“I’m excited to return to the Nebraska Department of Insurance to build on the legacy of outgoing director Bruce Ramge,” said Dunning. “I’m a fifth-generation Nebraskan with over 22 years of experience working in Nebraska’s insurance sector.

Over the years, I’ve developed strong relationships within the industry and gained a thorough knowledge of state and federal insurance statutes. I’m grateful to Governor Ricketts for this opportunity to give vision and insight to the Department of Insurance so that we can continue to grow Nebraska.”

Dunning’s first day as Nebraska Director of Insurance will be April 19, 2021.

Sources: www.nebraska.tv.com and the Lincoln Journal Star.

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Once upon a summer Continued from page 1 get to experience a sleepaway resident camp, so I am trying to bring that here to the JCC for our campers.”

Jacob is originally from Nashville, TN, where he attended JCC day camp since Kindergarten.

“I have never missed a summer attending camp and worked my way up from camper, to Counselor In Training (C.I.T), to Camp Counselor, to an assistant camp director. My experience at JCC day camp allows me to draw from a variety of programs, activities and events that I try to bring to our J camp here. I am also certified Level 1 Archery Instructor and will be leading Archery activities for our 4th7th grade group at J Camp.”

Jake is a recent graduate from Midland University with an Education Degree.

“While at Midland, I played basketball and football. Meanwhile, I grew my passion for working with kids. I believe I bring a unique energy to this job.

Whether it is playing games with kids, or scheduling events for kids, I bring it. I am excited to be a part of an amazing staff and look forward to the future this Youth Department has!”

Planning for summer camp at the J starts earlier than you might think.

While the rest of the community builds sukkahs, prepares to break the fast and shops for Hanukkah, these three are already focused on next May. “We have a camp wrap-up meeting during September that includes all leadership staff from all departments that have a camp,” they said. “We discuss how the previous summer went, including positives, things we want to bring into future summer, and areas of improvement. From there we start planning themes and overall ideas for the

ORGANIZATIONS B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS The Monsky Lodge of B’nai B’rith is pleased to announce the resumption of its award-winning speaker program via ZOOM. Although the Home auditorium remains temporarily closed, we’ll continue presenting an outstanding lineup of thought-provoking keynoters. For specific speaker information and/or to be placed on the email list, please contact Breadbreakers chair Gary Javitch at breadbreake rsomaha@gmail.com or leave a message at the B’nai B’rith JCC office 402.334.6443.

upcoming summer.”

The first thing they actually decide is the overall theme for next summer.

From there, they break it down into weekly themes.

“Up until this point,” they said, “we have been very busy with planning for camp activities, finalizing field trips and special events and our premier camps.

Another big chunk of our focus has been placed on watching our enrollment numbers increase and hiring staff to meet all of our ratios. It is currently looking like this could be the biggest summer the JCC has seen in many years.”

A ‘big summer’ means many staff members are needed.

“At this time, we are planning to hire approximately 20 new staff to join our J Camp Team,” they said. “We hire staff to fit into all our ACA and State Licensed ratios, which means we need to have more counselors per camper than any other area day camps.” It’s just one of the many reasons why J Camp is rated so highly in the Omaha Community.

“The process begins when someone applies for the position on ‘Indeed.’ They are then contacted for an interview with at least two members of our J Camp Leadership team. From there, we determine if they are a good fit for our camp. If they are, they complete a series of background checks and screenings before they are officially hired on as camp staff.”

The team have encountered a steep learning curve due to the pandemic.

Many of the new practices will be permanent, as the entire world is learning how to be safer:

“A few of the things we learned and will be taking with us into future summers, are having small groups of campers, better cleaning procedures, and overall awareness of our health policies and procedures. Although summer 2020 posed lots of challenges and was difficult at times, we feel it was also a very successful summer for our staff and campers. We learned quite a bit about how to keep our camp safer and healthier and are excited to bring this to 2021!”

Amanda said seeing the many months of work culminate in the joy of the campers and staff excites her the most.

“Our J Camp Leadership staff spent so many hours during the “off-season” planning new games and activities for our campers and J Camp staff to enjoy and seeing our work brought to action makes me truly happy. I am very excited for all the new games and activities that we are working on bringing to our J Camps this summer.”

“I am most excited about meeting all the new faces at J Camp,” Jake added. “I love welcoming new kids and getting them excited for what this summer has in store!”

Jacob agreed: “What excites me the most about summer camp is getting to see all the campers and hoping that what we have planned for them will create life-long memories and an experience that they want to come back to camp for future summers.”

For more information about 2021 J Camp or to register, please contact Amanda Welsh at awelsh@jccomaha. org or visit the J Camp page at www.jcc omaha.com.

Holocaust education Continued from page 1 World Holocaust Remembrance Center; and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

Echoes & Reflections is dedicated to reshaping the way that teachers and students understand, process, and navigate the world through the events of the Holocaust, viewing it as more than a historical event—as part of the larger human story. In that context, the panelists will tackle questions regarding the relevance, immediacy and challenge of making Holocaust Education synonymous with civic education in today’s schools and whether, and to what extent, we keep a doorway to the lessons of the Shoah open and accessible to all people as a direct measure of how likely we, as a society, are to let the past repeat itself.

The discussion will feature Ariel Behrman, Director of ADL’s Echoes & Reflections for the past 13 years; Sheryl Ochayon, Director of Echoes & Reflections for Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center; and will be moderated by Kael Sagheer, Education Coordinator with the Institute for Holocaust Education.

To register or learn more about this event, the speakers, and the organizations involved, visit omaha.adl.org/events.

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The 11th day of Nissan GABBY BLAIR Jewish Press Staff Writer Established in 1978 by a joint congressional resolution, the United States annually marks ‘Education and Sharing Day U.S.A.’ to emphasize the vital role of education in society. Education Day U.S.A. has always been a shared, unanimous venture supported by both parties across all levels of the U.S Government.

‘Education Day U.S.A.’ appears to float across the calendar each year without a set date.

So what is ‘Education Day U.S.A.’ and when exactly is it?

The answer might come as a surprise and requires a deeper look at its inception 43 years ago.

Each year on the Rabbi Menachem Mendel 11th of Nissan, The United States Congress unanimously passes a resolution designating ‘Education Day U.S.A.’ which is then signed by the current President.

Proclamations are issued by all 50 state governors and many city mayors- including leadership in Omaha- in recognition.

So how is it that this special day emphasizing the importance of education in U.S. Society is tied to the Jewish calendar rather than the secular? The answer comes from Chabad.

“The 11th of Nissan is the anniversary of the birth of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of Righteous Memory,” explains Shani Katzman of Omaha Chabad.

“The Rebbe dedicated his life to education and ‘Education Day U.S.A.’ is an effort to honor the Rebbe’s many contributions to U.S. society and emphasizes the importance of morality as the goal of education. ‘Education Day U.S.A.’ focuses on the very foundation of meaningful education: instructing our youth in the ways of morality and ethics, and teaching them an appreciation for divine inviolable values.”

According to the Chabad website, “ The Rebbe’s long-term influence and involvement in U.S. policies was primarily to serve the interests of education. The Rebbe constantly addressed Presidents, lawmakers and cabinet members about their obligation to educate children to be ethical and just citizens. As such, President Jimmy Carter designated April 18, 1978, the secular date on which the Rebbe’s Jewish birthday, the 11th of Nissan, fell that year, as ‘Education Day U.S.A.’ Every year since, the acting president has designated the anniversary of the Rebbe’s birth as a day dedicated to educational awareness.”

The 11th of Nissan, which occurs four days before the start of Passover, falls between March 21 and April 21 respectively; as there is not a set secular date given to ‘Education Day U.S.A.’, resolutions are passed by Congress and signed by each President every year in a refreshing show of bipartisanship.

This year, Education Day U.S.A. occurred on March 24, 2021.

As always, Governor Pete Ricketts of Nebraska and Omaha’s Mayor, Jean Stothert, issued proclamations. Upon signing this year’s resolution President Joe Biden issued the following excerpt in his statement: “We are at our best when we work together and help our neighbors, whether down the road or around the world. This lesson is at the heart of Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A., when we celebrate the role models, mentors, and leaders who devote themselves to the progress and success of each new generation, to reinforcing our common bonds, and to lifting up our highest ideals. Today, we mark the legacy of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a guiding light of the international ChabadL u b av i t c h movem ent and a testament to the power and resilience of the human spirit. A witness to some of the 20th century’s darkest events and greatest tragedies, he devoted his life to bringing healing by advancing justice, compassion, inclusivity, and fellowship worldwide. A tireless advocate for students of all ages, he sought to foster exchange, understanding, and unity among all people. The global pandemic has brought some measure of struggle and sorrow to each of us, and amidst the larger tragedies — the tragic loss of so many lives and livelihoods — we have also missed the many small but meaningful moments that contribute to our shared humanity: a hug or handshake, a smile or a meal, the dignity of daily work, and the simple routines that give our lives greater structure and purpose. We have realized that one of the greatest gifts our schools give to our students and educators is time spent with each other — the daily opportunities to learn and grow together, face to face.

There is no substitute for this experience and the wonder and wisdom it brings.... On this ‘Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A.’, let us recommit ourselves to building an America that is more just, equal, unified, and prosperous. Let us leave our children a nation and a world that is better than the one we inherited — and, in the spirit of history’s greatest teachers, let us help all of our students to love learning; seek lives of dignity, decency, and respect; and work together for the common good.”

The idea of educating our children doesn’t only pertain to formal schooling, but in the home and society. The Rebbe himself shared the following wisdom in 1978: “Education, in general, should not be limited to the acquisition of knowledge and preparation for a career, or, in common parlance, to make a better living... we must think in terms of a “better life" not only for the individual, but also for the society as a whole. The educational system must, therefore, pay more attention, indeed the main attention, to the building of character, with emphasis on moral and ethical values. Education must put greater emphasis on the promotion of fundamental human rights and obligations of justice and morality, which are the basis of any human society, if it is to be truly human and not turn into a jungle.”

Were your great-grandparents from Kapulya?

by Zoom about the Jewish comRENEE CORCORAN munities of Kapulya, Minsk and Executive Director, NJHS Kapulya is the Yiddish name for other cities in Belarus. The proa small-town northwest of Minsk. gram will present Rabbi Andy Minsk was the capital city of the Bachman, now of New York City. country of Belarus, a province in The Rabbi was born in Milwaukee Russia, before the fall of the Soviet and is a descendent of Jews from empire.

Kapulya. He is an expert in this A very large number of Jews Jewish community. While the from Omaha, Sioux City and other Nazis murdered most of the Jews parts of the Midwest are descenin Belarus, Rabbi Bachman is endants of Jews from Kapulya. gaged in preserving their memory.

When Jews lived in north central He also maintains a positive view Omaha there was a “Kapulyeshes” of the non-Jews of Belarus and Synagogue serving the Jewish in their relationship to the Jews.

Kapuliar Shul the area.

This program is free and sponOn Sunday afternoon, April 25 at 2 p.m., the Nebraska sored by the Phillip and Ethel Klutznick Chair in Jewish CiviJewish Historical Society will present a very special program lization at Creighton University.

The Jewish Press | April 16, 2021 | 5

The RBJH thanks its volunteers SABINE STRONG RBJH Volunteer Coordinator Trish Mark has volunteered with RBJH since 2018. Prior to COVID she helped with the Saturday Services in our Chapel. She regularly visited Resident Haym on Sunday or Monday evenings and they had long conversations talking about anything and everything.

Trish has a Trish Mark lovely and calm personality and is a great listener. Her patient nature shows empathy and kindness towards others. As soon as Trish heard that we needed help, she contacted me to assist with the Residents’ visitations.

Trish takes pride in her duties and I can depend on her when I need her. Trish has a 3-year-old daughter named Rachel, who goes to the JCC Early Learning Center and a 5-year-old son named Nate who attends Friedel Jewish Academy. Trish and her husband are members of Temple Israel. She likes to read and has a 1-year-old Boxer named Suki, which she recently adopted from a shelter.

Thank you, Trish, for everything you do!

Say “HI” to Trish when you see her around.

News LOCA L | N ATION AL | WORLD

Beteavon!

ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT Jewish Press Editor “It’s been two years since I started my Shlichut,” Ron Lugasy wrote last August. She was about to leave Omaha during what had been a challenging last phase of her time here.

Her mission was to create meaningful connections between the community of Omaha and Israel: “from lectures to activities with kids,” she said, “from art to fun hang-outs anything that will work and create a positive impact. It’s a very broad mission; it’s hard to measure success, and it takes time to understand the audience.”

A few months in, she created a Facebook post, asking if anyone would be interested in having a cooking class and, if so, what would they like to learn to make.

“I think that this was the Facebook post that received the highest response,” she said. “Every cooking class was fully booked; each one of them brought together a variety of people from different backgrounds, ages, and religious affiliations. All of my life, I have loved cooking and baking, and for me, those classes were the way to combine work and pleasure. There were a few times I had a little devil on my shoulder telling me: ‘This is fun, but not meaningful enough. This is not bringing enough value and education. You need to bring something that is deeper.’ And then, COVID 19 hit and I couldn’t gather people. If I wanted to stay relevant, I had to keep it simple, accessible, and easy. I needed to find a way to bring Israel

into people’s houses, to find a way to make it part of their lives. Slowly, people started telling me that they made recipes that I shared with them in their own home, that those Israeli memories of mine are part of their dinner now, in their houses, and their family members will share the same memories as I have.”

Although Ron has gone back to Israel, we still have her recipes. Before she left, she compiled all her favorites, from salads to entrees, from pastries to Israeli favorites like Shakshuka and Za’atar pita with hummus. In addition, she included recipes from the ‘Taste of Memories’ project, which share the favorite dishes of Israel’s fallen soldiers, like Bar Rahav, who died during Operation Protective Edge when an anti-tank missile hit his engineering vehicle in Southern Gaza. Bar was 21 years old when he died and his favorite dish, filled bell peppers, is one of the previews featured on the Jewish Press website at www.omaha jewishpress.com.

“I collected all of the recipes in this book

from my family, my favorite chefs, and food bloggers in Israel, and of course from my own kitchen,” Ron said. “These recipes are my memories and this book is my way to keep Israel around your table, and together create shared memories around the globe. For me, food tells a story and teaches about culture,” Ron said. “In Israel, it tells the story of how different cultures became one. It’s the smells from the shuk, the family around the Shabbat table, the fresh ingredients or baked goods – these are part of our story and the things that help define us.”

Purchase a Beteavon Cookbook and help raise the funds to bring Ron back to Omaha for an in-person Israeli Cooking Experience next Spring, 2022! Your purchase will also allow you to connect virtually with Ron this summer through exclusive cooking classes offered to book owners. Ron will pick special recipes from the cookbook to share from her home in Israel. Cookbooks will be delivered mid-May and details about the classes will be sent to those who purchase the book. Price of the cookbook is $36, or $18 for a digital copy.

For $72, you receive the book and a special ‘beteavon’ apron.

The online cookbook order form closes April 20, 2021.

To pre-order, please see the link on our website at www.jewishomaha.org.

It’s not just what they know.

It’s who they become.

2021 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND PARENTS

We will be publishing our annual High School Graduation Class pages on May 21, 2021. To be included, send us an email with the student’s name, parents names, high school they are attending, the college they will be attending and photo to: jpress@jewishomaha.org by May 3, 2021.

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6 | The Jewish Press | April 16, 2021

News LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D

Temple Israel hosts Dr. Andrew Rehfeld CASSANDRA WEISENBURGER Temple Israel Director of Communications After last week’s incredible sessions with Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, Temple Israel is continuing with our second April scholar, Dr. Andrew Rehfeld.

Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, is a leading political scientist and distinguished Jewish communal leader. Dr. Rehfeld’s career has bridged both the academic and professional worlds as Associate Professor of Political Science at Washington University (2001 to 2019) and as President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis (2012 to 2019). The Dr. Andrew Rehfeld academic values of thinking, writing, and teaching are the core of his identity, coupled with a passionate commitment to building communities based on the Jewish values that are central to his life. He is an advocate for pluralism, inclusion, and racial and social justice, and an activist in combatting antisemitism, advancing peace and security for the state of Israel, and strengthening the ties binding Jews worldwide.

As HUC-JIR President, Dr. Rehfeld leads the four-campus international institution of Jewish higher education and seminary for Reform Judaism, which educates leaders to serve the Reform Movement and the Jewish people worldwide as rabbis, cantors, educators, and nonprofit management professionals, and offers graduate programs to scholars and clergy of all faiths. He also holds a tenured faculty position as Professor

of Political Thought. Dr. Rehfeld oversees campuses in Cincinnati, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, and New York, an annual operating budget of over $41 million, 36 full-time tenured faculty, and an enrollment of about 400 full-time students and 800 part-time education students.

Shabbat Evening Service, The Pragmatic Foundations of Prophetic Judaism, Friday, April 23, 6 p.m.

Today we find ourselves in the United States at an historic moment of factionalism, cracking the pragmatic foundation upon which our modern expression of Prophetic Judaism has been built. Prophetic Judaism has inspired us to use our proud religious tradition in service to promoting social justice in Post-WWII America and yet, it is possible that continuing the expression of moral outrage and righteousness, while justified morally, may wind up being counterproductive. Dr. Rehfeld, a trained political scientist and an experienced Jewish communal leader, will explore whether our approach to Prophetic Judaism should refocus its efforts on rebuilding civic engagement and fostering a shared sense of purpose and common good.

Shabbat Study Session, The Crisis of Authenticity in Reform Judaism, Saturday, April 24, 9:15 a.m.

While many of us identify Reform Judaism with principles such as advancing inclusion, promoting tikkun olam, “choicethrough-knowledge,” many of us also tend to define it by the traditional practices we don’t keep. Dr. Rehfeld will lead us in exploring the affirmative principles of religiously progressive Judaism that distinguish it from other forms, and help us draw a connection that shows how these first principles lead to the important moral and ethical practices we hold dear. In doing so, we create an answer to the crisis of authenticity facing Reform Judaism and provide a more secure basis upon which to sustain the holy practices with which we identify.

Zoom links are available on www.TempleIsraelOmaha.com.

MOTHER’S DAY

Publishing date | 04.30.21 Space reservation | 04.20.21 Contact our advertising executive to promote your business in this very special edition.

SUSAN BERNARD | 402.334.6559 | sbernard@jewishomaha.org

Support our Jewish Community during Do Good Week!

SARA KOHEN In recent years, our community has joined in Omaha Gives!, with an amazing number of donors supporting our Omaha Jewish communal institutions during that city-wide day of giving.

Omaha Gives! won’t be happening again this year, but you can still donate to your favorite local Jewish institutions during Do Good Week, which will take place this year from April 19 through 23.

Although you can donate to many great nonprofits during Do Good Week on the Share Omaha website, houses of worship and schools are not eligible to participate on this platform.

Our local synagogues and Friedel Jewish Academy would still love your support during Do Good Week! We all rely on this spring fundraising to continue providing programming that connects and uplifts our community.

Keep an eye on your inbox—and on social media—for details on how to support Friedel, Beth El, Beth Israel, Chabad, and Temple Israel during Do Good Week.

From all of us, thank you!

Visit us on facebook:

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The Jewish Press | April 16, 2021 | 7

Above and right: Temple Israel’s staff took a tiny break from social distancing just for the photo. Pictured are: Rabbi Deana Berezin, left, Rabbi Brian Stoller, Mindy Marburg, Nate Shapiro, Ben Cohen, Cantor Joanna Alexander and Scott Anderson. Staff handed out many Passover bags outside.

Below: Josh and Tommy Sullivan with their LEGO creation depicting part of the Passover story for Temple Israel’s Passover Seder.

Above and below: Nice spring weather accompanied Beth Israel’s burning of the chametz.

SP O TLIGHT

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org.

Below: Pickleball winners in the 50+ bracket were Miriam Allick and Bunny Faling and Steve Levinger and Joe Meyers.

Above and below: Torah study outdoors at Beth Israel.

8 | The Jewish Press | April 16, 2021

Voices The Jewish Press (Founded in 1920) Abby Kutler President Annette van de Kamp-Wright Editor Richard Busse Creative Director Susan Bernard Advertising Executive Lori Kooper-Schwarz Assistant Editor Gabby Blair Staff Writer Mary Bachteler Accounting Jewish Press Board Abby Kutler, President; Eric Dunning, Ex-Officio; Danni Christensen, David Finkelstein, Candice Friedman, Bracha Goldsweig, Margie Gutnik, Natasha Kraft, Chuck Lucoff, Eric Shapiro, Andy Shefsky, Shoshy Susman and Amy Tipp.

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Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

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No allyship without humility MURPHY SCOTT WULFGAR ADL-CRC Communications Director Over one year ago, a young Jewish girl was victimized on a youth school trip in Israel. Among teens she should have felt safe with, the most exposed and vulnerable part of her—her skin—was casually targeted... for a laugh. White kids singing and repeating a word with no meaning to them outside rap music was bad enough, but when a young boy fired off the word one last time in a group chat, this time as an insult (an arrow wrapped in the coward’s cloak: a “joke,”) it found its mark—to inflict pain. No allies came to her aid. Some actually did laugh. No adults stepped up and course corrected.

She spent the 20-hour flight home alone and fractured.

The enormity of this cannot be overstated. What happened to this strong, bright-eyed young girl fractured her identity in two. How could it not? She is no longer just another Jewish kid. She is now a Jewish kid and a Black woman living in one body.

Will she have to choose between the two? How could this episode not make her question that? As a Jew she was safe with other Jews, but as a young Black woman... no?

Unfortunately, upon arriving home, these conflicts have only been compounded. Nearly every adult involved,å or in a position of power associated with this trip, was given an opportunity to help keep her whole. They either failed to apologize for what happened to her, to confront this issue in a meaningful way, or did nothing at all. Whether

this is the result of privilege blindness, fear of saying or doing the wrong thing, trepidation due to longstanding issues between the Black and Jewish communities, “missing the moment” and not knowing how to recover, wishing the problem would just go away, or hubris-- is irrelevant.

White privilege and racial insensitivity are not measured by the intent behind them but by the impact they have on those they harm. That’s the problem with privilege. We can know in our hearts that we aren’t racist but if we don’t act when the situation calls for it, what good are the best of our intentions?

If our skin tone doesn’t give us away, we can hide behind our good intentions—lulling us into believing that we are actual allies. But simply not-being-a-

racist doesn’t make you an ally against racism.

Being an ally requires action. It requires selfawareness and a willingness to enter a space that exposes you as much as the person (or people) you are seeking to align yourself with. It demands vulnerability and humility — particularly from people in positions of power. The young girl on this trip needed allies. She needed them when she came home. And here, one full year later, they are still largely absent.

We all have to own that.

Even those of us new to this story.

It is time we start reframing how we view hate— not by its intent, but its impact. Then, shifting our focus away from “how-something-like-this-couldhappen,” allows us to be fully present for the person it happened to. Maybe then we will see what they need—and it won’t take us a year to get there.

In Leviticus we are taught to love our neighbor as ourselves. Further lessons teach us to believe that saving a single life is akin to having saved an entire world. The same must also be said of destruction. We are also taught to forgive, but how can one forgive, or accept forgiveness, until we first understand the power of apology? To the victims of hate, an act of apology is not solely for something we did, but to acknowledge we understand something of what happened to them.

This is true humility. And it is the only way to build strong allies.

It is hard to connect to the Torah as a trans Jew. Here’s why I’m trying anyway.

DUBBS WEINBLATT This essay originally appeared on Alma, 70 Faces Media’s feminist Jewish culture site.

Had you asked me 20 years ago, 10 years ago, even last year (truthfully, last month) if I’d ever quote the Torah in a piece I was writing, I probably would have (respectfully and nervously) laughed in your face.

The Torah makes me anxious because I know that it holds the potential to oppress me as a genderqueer trans Jew. And I know it informs so many Jews of their strongly held beliefs, and those beliefs directly oppress me and others. They use the Torah to justify hate and bigotry and embolden some to actively and directly harm people. As Jewish as questioning and challenging everything is, I was never taught to actually do it.

So when these particular Jews would weaponize different Torah verses and decide that their one interpretation was the Word of God, that was it for me.

Fin. I never questioned it. I just took it at face value.

Add the fact that I’d never really seen myself reflected in any of the stories I’d heard, and I never even saw the purpose of trying to connect to the Torah.

Still, I struggled. As I work at Keshet, a national nonprofit that works for the full equality for LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life, I am constantly faced with the question of how relevant the Torah can be as I run workshops and teach about inclusion as a Jewish value. I point to our poster of Seven Jewish Values for an Inclusive Community and recite my spiel. I have to admit that when I first started teaching this four years ago, I don’t know that I truly believed what I was teaching; I hadn’t quite internalized it yet. I was in the beginning of my healing journey with Judaism. I’d felt so deeply rejected so much of my life that I didn’t even know it was possible to connect again to Judaism in an authentic way as a queer and trans person.

One of the values from our poster that continuously stuck out to me and replayed over and over in my head was “b’tzelem Elohim,” the notion that we are made in the image of God (or the divine) pulled directly from Genesis. As the poster explains, if we see each person as created in the image of God, we can see the humanity and dignity in all

people. True inclusion is built upon this foundation.

This made sense to me, yet I still had a difficult time applying it to myself.

The questions kept coming: Do I even believe in God? If I was made in the image of God, then why do I need to change my body to relieve my dysphoria and see/be/feel myself ? Why do I even feel dysphoria? Was I a mistake? Am I broken? If God is real, why do humans suffer? And why do humans suffer at the hands of other Jews?

God reaching out to an LGBTQ person in the style of Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam.” Credit: Getty Images

Over the last few years, I’ve been training myself to think outside the binary in more ways than just gender. I’ve been rewiring my brain to think in a both/and instead of an either/or kind of way. Either/or stops a conversation, while both/and invites expansion and possibility. If this is true, what else can be true? Is this the only truth? There must be more to the story. Can two things be true at once? It’s a lot to hold, and it’s not always easy.

I’ve never been interested in text studies. I didn’t want to dig into Torah. It felt like I’d be giving too much power and attention to this thing that I kept thinking was my oppressor. Then one day I decided I needed — and wanted — to push myself on this.

I wanted to face the thing that scared me as I’d done with so many other aspects of my life.

So with my colleague Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael, a trans person who became a rabbi in part to challenge the patriarchy and help carve space for queer Jews, we started chatting Torah. And I pushed back on every single word they said. I asked them a mil-

lion questions. Even questions like: What is the Talmud really? What is midrash really? Then we started talking about the moment we are in now: on the precipice of rereading, reimagining and reinterpreting Torah and doing it through a queer lens.

There are many queer and trans folks who have been queering the Torah for years, individually and through programs like Svara, while actively working to make queer Jews more visible.

Then it dawned on me: I’d been approaching Torah all wrong. It’s not an either/or. It’s a both/ and. It’s not “either this verse is the law of the land or nothing”; instead I get to decide what Torah means to me. I get to choose which meanings resonate with me. And if none do, I get to create my own. If the sages and rabbis get to, why can’t I? Maybe the concept of b’tzelem Elohim needs an update for those of us who aren’t sure we believe in God. Because whether or not we believe doesn’t change the fact that transness is holiness. I am divine. I find my strength from within and don’t need any outside sources, God included, to be my own constant, my own divinity. I was made the way I am because it’s who I am meant to be. Every move or mistake I’ve made, every lesson I’ve learned, has made me who I am, and I wouldn’t trade any of my experiences to be born any other way.

When I’m in Jewish spaces where I’m feeling on the fringes, or have moments when I’m questioning if I really belong or if anyone really, truly sees me, I can dig within and remember that I exist, therefore I am visible — even if only to myself and, ultimately, that’s what matters most. I am b’tzelem Elohim, divine and holy. And the Torah gave me that.

Dubbs Weinblatt is the Founder and Executive producer of Thank You For Coming Out, a podcast and improv show showcasing the stories of LGBTQ folks. They’re also the Associate Director of Education and Training for Metro New York for Keshet, a national organization that works for the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews in Jewish life.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

The Jewish Press | April 16, 2021 | 9

What it’s like to celebrate Passover in prison CHRISTOPHER BLACKWELL JTA Over the past few years, I have been honored and blessed to experience — with good friends — some Jewish traditions and holidays. Passover has always been one of the traditions I’ve most enjoyed. Yes, the good food we are blessed to receive plays a role — a true rarity in prison — but most important is the opportunity to experience some of my friends’ culture and their family traditions in celebrating them. To me, there is no higher honor to be shared with another — family, tradition, food and culture.

Last year during Passover, the virus was raging across the world. Stay-at-home-orders were given across the United States and countries were going on complete lockdown — better resembling ghost towns opposed to the lush and beautiful countries they were only months before bursting with life.

The experience within the prison was no different — we were sitting in a tinderbox as we waited for it to catch fire. Which it eventually did. The news painted grim pictures of overcrowded environments, like prisons and nursing homes, exploding with excessive amounts of positive cases of COVID-19.

The unstable state of the world forced us to spend the 2020 Passover locked in our cells, alone and isolated. Our meals were supplemented to match the traditional holiday, but the time for stories and friendship were nowhere to be had — nothing like the incredible experiences I had in previous years.

As our prison continues to remain on an extremely restricted movement structure, still recovering from an outbreak that infected over 90% of my living unit, many of us figured Passover 2021 would resemble Passover 2020.

However, as Passover approached this year, the prisoners at the Monroe Correctional Complex were told we could come together and have a small service in the Religious Activities Center here. It was a blessing many of us thought wouldn’t be possible, but one we welcomed quickly, eager to spend time with each other.

In the midst of a pandemic, Passover behind these prison walls would again become a festive time due to the kinship formed among prisoners of all races and religions being able to unite in celebration.

Gathered in the RAC, we were able to share in ancient stories that connect to a modern message. A tale of unity, faith,

overcoming adversity, racism, slavery and oppression. It’s a story that many from all walks of life can share in for the evening, on that first night of Passover, we celebrated as one.

The guest list was more diverse than a New York City subway: Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druids, Atheists, Buddhists, Asians, Blacks and whites. Human beings who had a tough year shared in ancient tradition, a good meal, laughs and storytelling. Everyone was welcoming, open and caring — no judgment to be had.

Credit: Getty Images

When I got back to my cell that night, laying on my thin plastic mattress, I felt a sense of real happiness. I couldn’t help but think how much better life would be if we could all just take a moment to understand each other. It was a moment that was truly needed after the year we’ve been forced to endure.

“This year’s Passover seder brought multiple cultures together in celebrating a Jewish tradition,” said Ezra, a prisoner who attended. “As someone who is Asian, and living in a time when violence against Asian Americans has severely increased, it was refreshing to be in the company of people who look past each other’s differences.”

He went on to say, “If we have individuals in prison who have made terrible mistakes that can overlook cultural and religious differences and come together as one, there is no reason people on the outside of prison can’t do the same.”

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Ezra is right. We should be able to look past the things that make us different because in the end, we are not really all that different. We have cultures and experiences that may be different and unfamiliar to one another, but if we all took the time to learn about each other, it would allow us to see what we have to offer is beautiful and unique. I have found it’s a blessing to participate in another’s cultural practices, not a burden or a threat to my way of life but a way to grow.

The Passover meal was kindly provided by Jewish Prisoner Services International. It consisted of everything needed to conduct a proper Orthodox seder, including a guided story booklet that was read by Bryan Glant, a Jewish community liaison within the prison. He led the group through the history of Passover while explaining the details and importance of sacrifice and the ritualistic food we partook in. He explained how bitter herbs were to remind us of the bitterness of slavery and oppression of the Jewish people, and he continued winding us down a path of stories and traditions, even educating us on the 10 plagues it took to change Pharaoh’s mind into having compassion for the Jewish people — signifying how difficult it can be to bring change to those who carry such a hard heart.

As men who are not free ourselves, the irony of the story and the whole seder experience was not lost on us, as we ourselves are hiding from plagues in isolation and wanting to be redeemed. After a long year of struggles, exile and solitary, the night was a good reminder that all storms shall pass — no matter how mighty they may seem — and like the hardships of the past, we too will move forward into brighter times.

Please take a moment to share who you are with someone and to learn about others. Many blessings.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

Mazal Tov, Aaron!

We are so proud of your achievements – membership in NHS, varsity letter in tennis and a Merit Award from the Band.

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We are so proud of your achievements – membership in NHS, varsity letter in tennis and a Merit Award from B.E.S.T.T.

Love, Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters and grandparents

Synagogues

10 | The Jewish Press | April 16, 2021

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766 712.322.4705 email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980 402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154 402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

CHABAD HOUSE

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646 402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN

South Street Temple Union for Reform Judaism 2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797 402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123 402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

TEMPLE ISRAEL

Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206 402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL

Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org

B’NAI ISRAEL Join us via Zoom on Friday, May 14, 7:30 p.m. for evening services. Our service leader is Larry Blass.

Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!

For information on our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail.com or any of our other board members: Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber.

Handicap Accessible.

BETH EL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

VIRTUAL MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Sundays, 9 a.m. and Mondays and Thursdays, 8 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m. IN-PERSON MINYAN SCHEDULE AT BETH EL: Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Shabbat To Go Pick Up, 10 a.m.; Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Guest Speaker Gideon Aronoff, 11:15 a.m.; USY Program, 8:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:45 p.m.

SUNDAY: Torah Study, 10 a.m.; BESTT (Grades K7), 10:30 a.m.; Dreams Never Dreamed, 2 p.m.; Torah Tots, 4 p.m.

MONDAY: Women’s Book Group, 7 p.m.; Jewish Law with Rabbi Abraham, 8 p.m.

TUESDAY: Biblical Literacy with Rabbi Abraham, 11:30 a.m.; Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Coffee & Conversation with Rabbi Abraham, 2 p.m.; Intergenerational Tai Chi with Beth Staenberg, 3:30 p.m.; BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4:30 p.m.; Jerusalem Through the Ages with Dr. Rami Arav, 6 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 7 p.m.; Beit Midrash — The Future is Now, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY: Pearls of Jewish Prayer with Hazzan Krausman, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY-April 23: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY-April 24: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 8:50 p.m.

Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.

BETH ISRAEL Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Ari Dembitzer.

Classes, Kabbalat Shabbat and Havdalah on Zoom, WhatsApp or Facebook Live. On site services held outside in Sukkah, weather permitting. Physical distancing and masks required.

FRIDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Daf Yomi with Rabbi Yoni — 30 mins prior to Mincha; Mincha, 7 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:47 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:50 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:50 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:50 p.m.

MONDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Daf Yomi with Rabbi Yoni — 30 mins prior to Mincha; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:50 p.m.

TUESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom);

Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Daf Yomi with Rabbi Yoni — 30 mins prior to Mincha; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:50 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Board of Directors Meeting, 6:30 p.m.; Daf Yomi with Rabbi Yoni — 30 mins prior to Mincha; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:50 p.m.

THURSDAY: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deeping Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Character Development, 9:30 am. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Daf Yomi with Rabbi Yoni — 30 mins prior to Mincha; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:50 p.m.

FRIDAY-April 23: Nach Yomi — Daily Prophets, 6:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (WhatsApp); Shacharit, 7 am.; Deepening Our Prayer, 7:45 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Laws of Shabbos, 8 a.m. with Rabbi Ari (Zoom); Daf Yomi with Rabbi Yoni — 30 mins prior to Mincha; Mincha, 7 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:55 p.m.

SATURDAY-April 24: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m. with Rabbi Yoni; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Bar Mitzvah of Teddy Dunning, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 8 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:59 p.m.

Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.

CHABAD HOUSE Due to Coronavirus, classes are being offered online at ochabad.com/classroom. In-person services are Covid compliant and safe outdoors at Chabad.

For schedules and more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800.

FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 6 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/Lechay im; LIght Candles at 7:47 p.m.; Count the Omer #20.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 10:30 a.m.; Shabbat Ends, 8:50 p.m.; Count the Omer #21.

SUNDAY: Minyan & Coffee, 9 am.; Shacharit, 10:30 am.; Count the Omer #22.

MONDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha class, 9:30 a.m. with Shani Katzman; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Count the Omer #23.

TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Virtual Pirkei Avot Women’s Class, 7 p.m.; Count the Omer #24.

WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Katzman; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introduction to Hebrew Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Count the Omer #25.

THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Advanced Hebrew Class, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study, noon with Rabbi Katzman; Count the Omer #26.

FRIDAY-April 23: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 6 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad. com/Lechayim; LIght Candles at 7:55 p.m.; Count the Omer #27.

SATURDAY-April 24: Shacharit, 10:30 a.m.; Shabbat Ends, 8:58 p.m.; Count the Omer #28.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL Virtual services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex and Star City Kochavim, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom; Candlelighting, 7:49 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex via Zoom; Torah Study on Parashat Tazria-Metzora, 11:30 a.m. via Zoom; Havdalah, 8:52 p.m.

SUNDAY: LJCS Grades Gan-Gesher, 10 a.m. via Zoom with guest speaker Lukasz Niparo; Adult Ed: Intro to Judaism with Rabbi Alex, 11:30 a.m. via Zoom; Men's Jewish Bike Group of Lincoln meets Sundays at 10 a.m. rain or shine to ride to one of The Mill locations from Hanson Ct. (except we drive if its too wet, cold, cloudy, windy, hot or humid) followed by coffee and spirited discussions. No fee to join, no dues, no president, no board or minutes taken. If Interested please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail. com to find out where to meet each week; Jewish Book Club, 1:30 p.m. and talk about On Division by Goldie Goldbloom via Zoom.

MONDAY: Makers of Jewish Things, 7 p.m. via Zoom.

TUESDAY: Synagogue Staff Meeting, 10 a.m.; Tea & Coffee with Pals, 1:30 p.m. via Zoom.

WEDNESDAY: LJCS Grades 3-7, 4:30 p.m. via Zoom; College of Education at UN-Kearney hosts Tri Faith Initiative's Virtual Tour, 6-7:30 p.m. on Google meet.

FRIDAY-April 23: Kabbalat Shabbat Service, service leaders/music: Rabbi Alex, Steve and Nathaniel Kaup, 6:30 p.m. via Zoom; Candlelighting, 7:57 p.m.

SATURDAY-April 24: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex via Zoom; Torah Study on Parashat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim, 11:30 a.m. via Zoom; Havdalah, 9 p.m.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE All services canceled until further notice.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is currently closed to visitors.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

Virtual services conducted by Rabbi Brian Stoller, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin and Cantor Joanna Alexander.

DAILY VIRTUAL MINYAN: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.

Join us via Zoom.

FRIDAY: Tot Shabbat, 5:30 p.m. Join us via Zoom; Shabbat Service: Seven Texts all Reform Jews Should Know, 6 p.m. Join us via Zoom.

SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. Join us via Zoom; Shabbat Service — Bar Mitzvah of Henry Yale, 10:30 a.m.

SUNDAY: Blood Drive, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Youth Learning Programs, 10 a.m.; Book Club: Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, 10:30 a.m.

MONDAY: Jewish Law Class & the Quest for Meaning, 11 a.m. Join us via Zoom.

TUESDAY: Board of Trustees Meeting, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Mindful Meditation with Margot Anderson, 9 a.m. Join us via Zoom; Youth Learning Programs: Grades 3-6, 4 p.m.; Grades 7-12, 6:30 p.m.; Beit Midrash — The Future is Now: Re-imagining Judaism for a Post-Pandemic World Part II, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY: Thursday Morning Discussion, 9:30 a.m. with Moshe Nachman.

FRIDAY-April 23: Shabbat Service: Seven Texts all Reform Jews Should Know, 6 p.m. Join us via Zoom.

SATURDAY-April 24: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. Join us via Zoom; Shabbat Service — Bat Mitzvah of Annika Gaca, 10:30 a.m.

Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

In memory of Mike Sadofsky MARINA SADOFSKY On the sad day of March 10, 2021 the Sadofsky family suffered a bereavement.

Mike Sadofsky passed away at the age of 78, after a short and difficult struggle with a serious illness. Thus ended 30 years of a marriage and family life, in which there was so much love, care and devotion.

Family life, where traditional wedding vows, including ‘for better - for worse, for richer - for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death’ were fully embodied.

Mike was a wonderful husband, a caring father, brother and grandfather, a great friend and a very honest and honorable man to his core.

The lives of his family members will be poorer without his sparkling humor, infectious laughter and endless energy. His qualities such as motivation, hard work, as well as enterprise and purposefulness were contagious.

My dear Mike, my Love, you will remain in the hearts of those who were blessed to know and appreciate your beautiful soul - your family and friends, your grateful customers and anyone else you encountered and to whom you offered help and guidance as you always have!

My Mikochka, my beautiful, brave husband, I miss you so much! The bright memories of you will always be with me.

Your wife, Marina

Life cycles B’NAI MITZVAH BEATRICE KENNEDY BAUM Beatrice Kennedy Baum, daughter of Matthew and Deborah Baum, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at her home in Baltimore, Maryland.

Beatrice is a seventh-grade honors student at The Bryn Mawr School.

Bea enjoys soccer, tennis, basketball, laughing with family and friends, and spending her summers at Wavus Camp for Girls in Jefferson, Maine.

For her mitzvah project, Beatrice collected more than 100 jars of peanut butter and jelly for the Baltimore Hunger Project, which provides weekend supplies to food insecure children in the Baltimore area.

Beatrice has a younger brother, Max. Grandparents are Donald and Andi Goldstein and the late Ann Goldstein; Jane and Stan Rodbell of Baltimore, Maryland; and Patti and the late Charles Baum of Severna Park, Maryland.

WILLIAM THEODORE DUNNING William Theodore Dunning, son of Toba Cohen-Dunning and Eric Dunning, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, April 24, at Beth Israel.

Teddy is a seventh-grade honor roll student at Lewis and Clark Middle School.

Teddy plays saxophone and flute in the school’s Jazz band and band.

He has a sister, Eleanor Dunning.

Grandparents are the late Jack E. Cohen and Mrs. Jane M. Cohen, the late Gina Dunning and Mr. Frank Dunning.

IN MEMORIAM JEANY SOSHNIK Jeany Pappenheimer Soshnik, passed away peacefully on April 5 at age 67 at her home, surrounded by an adoring family. To keep everyone safe and healthy, an interment service was privately held on April 7.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Betsy Soshnik, daughter and son-in-law, Leah and Jonathan Beitner; grandchildren: George and Audrey, Liliana; sisters and brothers-in-law, Roxanne Pappenheimer (Mark) and Debbie Pappenheimer (Artie), and sister, Nancy Kutler; and fiancee, Ronald Deitch.

Jeany was truly one-of-a-kind. She had a unique ability to make the best of any situation and to make others feel welcome and at ease in her presence. Jeany's laughter and zest for life were contagious. She was a tireless advocate who spoke out any time she saw injustice in the world. Jeany leaves behind a legacy of kindness and caring that will be continued by all of her friends and family. She was blessed with many beautiful and life-long relationships. She adored her children and grandchildren — they were her greatest source of joy and she cherished every moment that she spent with them. Jeany was happiest when she was sharing a bottle of wine with her sisters, going on adventures with her fiancée and planning dinner parties with her friends.

Throughout her life and her illness, Jeany was a beacon of strength.

Memorials may be made to the Anti-Defamation League, 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158-3650, www.adl.org, The Institute for Holocaust Education, 333 South 132nd Street, Omaha, NE 68154, www.ihene.org, and The American Brain Tumor Association, 8550 West Bryn Mawr Avenue, Chicago, IL 60631, www.abta.org.

Who Am I?

ANNIKA GACA Annika Gaca, daughter of Naomi and Michal Gaca, will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at Temple Israel.

Annika is a seventh-grade student at Mission Middle School.

Annika loves all things nature. She enjoys camping in the mountains with family, birding with her uncle, and hunting with her dad. Annika is currently involved in robotics club at school and archery club through 4H. She is also extremely creative and loves to draw, paint and sew.

Her mitzvah project was done in multiple places. Annika spent time organizing and stocking a free little pantry near our home, put in hours packing food at the Food Bank of the Heartland and helped serve meals at the Stephen Center.

Annika has a sister, MilenaMae Gaca.

Grandparents are Sindie and Jerry Katskee of Omaha, Katarzyna Dawidowicz of Aurora, CO, and Mitchell Gaca of Szczurowa, Poland.

Kids’ Night Out at the JCC and more...

Kids Night Out is back at the J on May 8. This program is for Members & Non Members, ages 6 months–12 years.

From 5:30-8:30 p.m., kids will enjoy a fun “themed” evening with a movie, dinner, and access to the popular Youth Lounge!

The theme for May 8 is Wall-E. There is a maximum of three 6-24 month-old children per event. Dinner is included and prices are per evening as listed on our website at jccomaha.org. Advanced registration is required.

Please also take a look at what else we have to offer! Our Summer Tutoring Program is brand new. Does your child need help filling in educational gaps from the 2020/2021 school year? Our tutoring program is available to Members and Non Members in K-5th grade. Full details will be coming soon – stay tuned!

Questions? Please contact Amanda Welsh at 402.334.6409.

The Jewish Press | April 16, 2021 | 11

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The Nebraska Jewish Historical Society (NJHS) requests help from the community in identifying photographs from the archives. Please contact Kathy Weiner at 402.334.6441 or kweiner@jewishomaha.org if you are able to assist in the effort to preserve Jewish Omaha history.

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12 | The Jewish Press | April 16, 2021

News

Getting settled

LOC AL | N AT I O N A L | WO R L D

Feel the serenity at Jewish Family Service KAREN M. GUSTAFSON, MS, NCC, LIMHP JFS Executive Director Several years ago, a conversation began about our goal to enhance the client experience at Jewish Family Service (JFS). The primary goal was to create an office space that was not only wheelchair accessible, but wheelchair friendly. There is a difference, and those in a wheelchair know it and can feel it. Dottie Shapiro and her parents Rosalie and Milton Saylan (of blessed memory) set up the Craig Saylan Memorial Endowment Fund.

Dottie was passionate about setting some money aside from that fund that JFS could use to enhance our space, creating a more inviting and accessible area for those with disabilities. Dottie felt that her brother and her parents would’ve appreciated this consideration.

With this seed money and the unfortunate fact of being out of our office most of last year, as we worked remotely due to COVID-19 infection rates in Douglas County, the time was right to make our move to remodel the JFS lobby and hallway to our offices without having to disrupt our clients or staff.

Then came another fantastic opportunity.

The Anything Grants, sponsored by Michael Staenberg and the Staenberg Family Foundation, gives agencies the opportunity to write a

Grant for “anything” that the agency needs, up to $10,000, if they can also secure matching funds for 50% of the project expenses. Our project was called the “JFS Serenity Project”, and we were lucky enough to be awarded this grant in 2020. Our secondary goal for this project, after allowing for better accessibility, was to create a more updated and vibrant space that was cheerful, yet peaceful. With this purpose in mind, we enhanced our common spaces with comfortable furniture, bright colors, soft music, and two very soothing water fountains. We wanted our clients to walk into the JFS front door and feel good before we even had the opportunity to greet them.

Don’t you just love it when things align so

nicely? During a pandemic, no less. I thank both of these caring and generous families for their gift, but also for the gift of giving us something positive to focus our attention on while we were adjusting to the move and learning how to do our work from home. Yes, even the helpers needed a lift of spirits during this time.

Our office is currently still closed to the public. We are waiting for the time when we can open our doors and not have to close them again. What we learned in the early Fall of 2020 when we opened for 3 months and then had to close again, was how hard these changes continue to be on our clients. We learned that it is better to wait, maintain our pandemic procedures, then open again once and for all. Nobody wants to be open more than we do. We miss our clients and our routine. When we are open to the public again, I hope you take the opportunity to stop by. We welcome you and hope that our enhanced space allows you to feel the genuine sentiment we are striving for: serenity.

Visit us at omahajewishpress.com

The JFO team realizes that folks are itching for more information on the new Learning Commons as well as how the Kripke Library will function moving forward. Now that construction is essentially JENNIE GATEScomplete, this is a BECKMAN good time to provide JFO Director of more information on Community Engagement & these topics.

This column is a Education way to share “little bits” of information each week (we’re only holding space for 200-ish words!), and we’ve already received feedback that it is helpful which is always nice to hear. For those who would prefer a fuller explanation all at once, please reach out! Many of us on campus are happy to set aside time to speak with you on the phone, to answer specific questions, or schedule a tour with you in person. Because each of us has a different area of expertise, the most efficient way to obtain the information you need is to call Mark Kirchhoff at 402.334.6463 or e-mail mkirchhoff@jew ishomaha.org.

Mark will make sure to put you in touch with the most appropriate person. He is also a great resource in general, as he has been a part of the Engagement & Education team on campus for nearly 10 years, and is a key member of our team easing the community through this transition.

See full digital issues https://issuu.com/jewishpress7